In 2017, Queen’s College entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf to create the Bachelor of Theology and Ministry (BThM) Stream for students from that diocese seeking ordination, as the diocese has no theological school of its own. The curriculum used for the program was the Exploring Faith program out of Wales. For a time, there had been local cohorts of this program in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. The program used a marking scheme based on the one used in the United Kingdom, making it very different from other programs at Queen’s College. It was an administrative relationship, but students and faculty from the BThM in the Diocese of the Gulf had no connection or interaction with the rest of the College.
In 2024, the Rt. Rev’d Sean Semple became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. Early in his episcopacy, he sought a new path for theological education in the diocese and tasked Fr. Kent Middleton, Director of Diocesan Ministry, with exploring new possibilities. After exploring many other options, the decision was made to continue with Queen’s College, but under a new arrangement. Moving forward, students from Cyprus and the Gulf will be admitted into Queen’s College’s existing programs, mainly the Associate in Theology and Bachelor of Theology. This means that students from Cyprus and the Gulf will be registered in courses along with all other Queen’s students. Fr. Kent says, “Over the years, the collaboration between the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf and Queen’s College has created valuable opportunities and outcomes, laying the foundation for a renewed and continuing relationship. We are delighted to strengthen this partnership and welcome the College’s vital role in the formation and training of our ministry candidates. We look forward to building a strong, fruitful, and enduring partnership for the years ahead.”
This new arrangement will add much to the depth and richness of the classroom experience for all students. In the meantime, the Diocese maintains responsibility for the formation and competency development of its students in response to the needs of the local churches. There are currently 23 students enrolled, 13 of whom are new students starting in the Fall 2026 semester. We are all very excited about this new relationship and the possibilities that lie ahead.
The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf is one of the three dioceses that make up the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. It includes parishes in Cyprus and seven other countries in the Gulf region, including Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. This puts the Diocese right in the midst of ongoing regional conflict. Please keep Bishop Sean and all the people of the diocese in your prayers as they navigate these dangerous times.
